The Springstead Eagles were the 33-22 winner over the Lecanto Panthers when they last played one another back in January, but their luck changed this time around. Springstead fell just short of Lecanto by a score of 41-38.
Springstead's loss came despite a true team effort from the offense, with many players turning in solid performances. Perhaps the best among them was Samantha Suarez, who scored 11 points along with 7 rebounds and 5 assists. Suarez scored a full 28.9% of Springstead's points, the second time in a row she's earned more than a third of the team's points. Another player making a difference was Malanie Francis, who scored 9 points along with 13 rebounds.
Leading Lecanto to victory were Bryleigh Florio and Ijyana Edwards. Florio scored 10 points along with 9 steals, while Edwards dropped a double-double on 19 points and 12 rebounds. The matchup was Edwards' third in a row with at least ten points. Aaliyah Beaver was another key contributor, scoring 4 points along with 9 rebounds and 5 blocks.
Springstead's loss dropped their record down to 2-2. As for Lecanto, the victory was the third in a row for them, bringing their record for this year to 3-0.
Springstead will play host again and welcome Dunnellon, where tip off is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. on Monday. One thing working in Dunnellon's favor is that they have posted big point totals every time they've taken the court this season. Lecanto won't have much time to rest: their next matchup is against Hernando at 7:30 p.m. on December 1st.
